Pet Poisonings Alarm, Anger Neighborhood

They had names like Muffie, Sissie, Mingo, Retread, Cindy and Scarlet.

Some died ugly deaths, writhing in agony in kitchens or living rooms or yards. Others became violently ill and received medical treatment. A few of the luckier ones merely sniffed and ignored the tasty, poisoned meatballs.

In what law enforcement officials say is one of the worst cases of animal poisoning in recent memory, a killer has been stalking the Beverly Acres neighborhood in the Whittier area, scattering the deadly meatballs in the fenced yards of the ranch-style homes.

No one knows exactly how many dogs and cats have been killed or injured in this picturesque rural neighborhood nestled near Rose Hills Memorial Park. But neighbors say there have been more than 100 attempts to poison animals, with at least a dozen deaths and scores of other pets falling ill.

Poisoned Meatballs

They theorize that the killer works at night, possibly using a sling shot to shoot pellet- and capsule-laden frozen meatballs into their yards.

“Whoever the sick person is won’t be happy until every single cat and dog here is dead,” said Sharon Johnson, who watched helplessly and in horror as her 10-year-old cat, Murphy, died in her arms after apparently eating a chunk of poisoned meat.

Although residents say the poisonings started about four years ago, the incidents have escalated in recent weeks along Cliota Street, Kimbark Avenue and Spy Glass Hill Road, making neighbors even more afraid and angry.

Only half a dozen police reports have been filed in the Beverly Acres area because at first the poisonings were sporadic and a pattern was not evident, resident Pat Wilgar said. But as more and more pets perished, residents became alarmed. Now every animal death in Beverly Acres is under suspicion, even those that turn out to be of natural causes. Last week, one family’s pregnant mare died suddenly and neighbors donated money to have a necropsy performed. The test results are not yet available.

“In the early morning it looks like an Easter egg hunt, with everyone outside looking behind every bush and tree,” one woman said, adding: “Please don’t use my name. I’m afraid what might happen.”

Some, like Ron Eade, are trying to keep their animals in the house. Last week, they found Muffie II sniffing at a piece of meat in their yard. “We knew exactly what it was,” he said.

Last year, they found Muffie I, a toy spaniel, dead in the fenced yard. “We were just devastated. . . . The dog was a clown and so lovable. She used to have a special blanket and cover herself up at night,” he said. “Who could be so mean?”

Retired Marine Leonard Blake and his wife, Bertice, rushed their 2-year-old Labrador retriever Sissy to the veterinarian last December with convulsions. Since then they have often found meatballs in their yard. Two weeks ago, they found a stray cat dead in their front yard, a half-eaten meatball nearby.

‘Going to Be a Child Next’

Blake said he didn’t rest a minute when his grandchildren visited last week. “It’s going to be a child next. They are going to pick up one of those meatballs and that will be it,” he said.

The concern that a child could be killed has residents especially angry and wary. Some are staying up at night to watch for the culprit. They are also documenting cases and keeping the meatballs frozen in their refrigerators in case they are needed as evidence.

“We’ve talked to the authorities and they all tell us nothing can be done unless we catch the poisoner in the act,” said Pat Wilgar, a 59-year-old secretary whose dog, Mingo, survived a poisoning. She and her husband, Maury, a retired truck driver, moved to this area 26 years ago, attracted, as many were, to the rural setting, large lots and the zoning laws amenable to horses, geese and chickens.

Sgt. Phil White, an investigator with the Los Angeles County Animal Control Department, said Beverly Acres’ problem was not brought to his agency’s attention until about two weeks ago.

Several Suspects

“I don’t know why they didn’t come to us sooner,” White said, noting that other enforcement agencies usually place animal complaints on the sidelines. He said his department is awaiting necropsy reports on a dog and cat and some of the meatballs. “We have been given the names of several suspects, but we have no proof,” he said.

Officials of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said they have several leads, but have made no arrests. Sgt. Frank Maestas said residents fear that it may be someone in the neighborhood committing the crimes. He theorized that the culprit may be a jogger or horseback rider who is bothered by barking animals.

Under the state’s animal cruelty laws, such crimes can be either misdemeanors or felonies, the latter carrying prison terms and fines of up to $20,000, he said. But he added: “This kind of crime is hard to solve; you have to see them do it.”

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also has been investigating the incidents in recent days. Its representatives have nailed posters to telephone poles in the area warning residents of the danger. “This is one of the worst cases of this type that we have ever seen,” said Lt. Charles Reed, ASPCA’s head of investigations.

‘It’s Really Sick’

“Usually someone will target a certain animal that irritates them with barking or something, or maybe they’ll take revenge on a family they are feuding with,” Reed said. “But these animals aren’t running loose. This guy is taking on the entire neighborhood and attacking them in their own homes. It’s really sick.”

His office receives about half a dozen poison reports monthly, he said. However, he added that most owners usually don’t report such crimes, and there are no statistics on how widespread the problem is. Even when reports are made, few are successfully prosecuted, he said.

Walking up and down the streets, Wilgar pointed out house after house where the poisoner has struck: “She had to have Retread’s stomach pumped. . . . That lady lost a Chihuahua. . . . This one had a 3-month-old German shepherd killed. When is it going to end?”

Louis and Linda Frias have collected a stack of medical bills, necropsy and lab reports concerning the poisoning deaths of their two pedigreed silky terriers, Scarlet and Cindy.

Two Show Dogs Killed

“It was a month after Cindy won her puppy class in a show. I came home after work and couldn’t find her. I looked in her dog house and she was dead, she had hemorrhaged,” said Linda Frias, her voice shaking. Several months later, they found Scarlet on the patio, dead. For the last several months, they have found meatballs laced with capsules in their yard, targeted for two other show dogs, Dundee and Stormy. Whittier veterinarian Dr. Gary Throgmorton, who had the meatballs analyzed, said the report indicated that the capsules contained a poison especially fatal to small animals.